With internationalization being a key challenge in the midst of the pandemic, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) has launched UniMAP@Global, leveraging digital platforms to run promotional activities and engage with potential students and stakeholders online, with a view to consistently and significantly increase the number of its international students.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & International) Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. Mohd. Rizal Arshad, who is currently the Acting Vice Chancellor of the university notes that the success of UniMAP@Global thus far is partly due to the initiative getting full support from UniMAP’s Alumni Chapters abroad.
The university’s strategic partners have also agreed to accommodate the university’s satellite offices on their premises and to run the virtual promotion activities. From thereon, UniMAP will establish contact with students keen to pursue their studies at the university and provide facilitation towards getting them enrolled.
Since its inception in early 2021, UniMAP@Global has organized several promotional sessions with its strategic partners via the satellite offices in Indonesia, UniMAP alumni in Uzbekistan, Jordan, Yemen and Nigeria.
According to Mohd Rizal Arshad, “We have received positive feedback from students who participated in the sessions, which is very encouraging. We now need to screen the applications based on our entry requirements, while some have been accepted for our English and Pre-University Preparatory Programme (EPPP), as well as for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes”.
In its full operational mode, the sessions will be run by UniMAP Marketing and Promotions Unit (UPP), in collaboration with the Centre for International Engagement (CIE) and UniMAP’s Centre for Alumni Relations (PPA).
Complementing operations of UniMAP@Global is the university’s One Stop Centre for International Students (OSCi), which has been enhanced to cater to the needs of international students, covering issues related to academic, student visa and insurance,
accommodation, tuition fees and student welfare in general. The OSCi is currently supervised by UniMAP international alumni.
Both UniMAP@Global and the OSCi are the university’s latest initiatives to attract more
international students to pursue their higher education at UniMAP and to ensure that their needs will be efficiently and effectively addressed.